Did you know that Arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability? I definitely didn’t and I find the following statistic staggering: It impacts one in every five adults and affects 4 million people in the US and hundreds of millions around the world.
There’s no cure for Arthritis but The Arthritis Foundation wants to encourage all Americans to take simple steps that will prevent or decrease the pain and disability of arthritis. In partnership with the Ad Council, the Arthritis Foundation is launching the Take Action Against Arthritis initiative in support of World Arthritis Day on October 12, 2012.
I have Raynaud’s Disease. It’s an autoimmune disorder that causes my fingers and toes to lose blood circulation in them when I get cold. I have a pretty severe case of it and I have to see a rheumetologist regulary for it. Without going into too many details, there are many autoimmune disorders that can also come from having Raynaud’s and one of them is Rheumatoid Arthritis. Much like arthritis, it involves regular, chronic joint pain. It’s one of many conditions I worry about developing later in life.
Both RA and regular Arthritis can be genetic so I’m doing steps to help prevent the onset by working out regularly. Studies show that regular exercise can fight arthritis. Just one more reason (as if we needed another!) to exercise and work out regularly, right?
There’s a great site for sharing tips on how to fight arthritis pain as well as this cool Visualization tool weapons.fightarthritispain.org worth checking out if you or anyone in your life is touched by arthritis.
Thanks for your lead on tips for fighting arthritis pain. I have it in my right knee which at times is debilitating and prevents me from excercising at the gym. Interestingly, my orthopedic
doctor told me to go back to the gym and use the recumbent bike using no weights and to go slowly. He said that rather than a shot he could give me that would produce the fluid needed on the knee, the motion on the bike would do the same thing. I have now been free of pain totally for 4 months. I experienced a minor set back a week ago and took time off from the gym. I felt well enough to return today and swear that the stiffness/discomfort has diminished by 80%. Most of us will experience arthritis somewhere and not just from aging.
Mine started years ago from waiting too long to have surgery on a torn miniscus. Thank you so much for guiding us to a source for some help and relief!!!